Matt Honeycutt vs Thanksgiving
by crowskisses
Summary: Matt really loves thanksgiving, so much they've named him the thanksgiving fairy. We follow him throughout a few years as Elena continues to throw cats, Bonnie to trance and Damon to pick fights with wolves. All in good fun.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Matt really loves thanksgiving, so much they've named him the thanksgiving fairy. We follow him throughout a few years as Elena continues to throw cats, Bonnie to trance and Damon to pick fights with wolves. Matt's big question is when will Damon follow through on his promise to ruin the holiday? Tied to the 'I love college' years.

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: All in good fun, all for kicks. Flame away dear readers, flame away :) We've got some of LJ's old _Moonsong _references in here, I liked them so they're used whether they'll be in the new book or not. Up next the McCullough thanksgiving, and I should have part three of "The Summer of Bonnie, Matt...and Damon" out this week as well.

Freshman Turkey

Matt glanced around the room and frowned. So what if they had been snowed in at college and couldn't get across the mountain to Fell's Church. So what if they had probably just started a war with all of the wolves in Virginia. So what if their turkey was still half frozen and Elena had ruined the macaroni and cheese. It was still Thanksgiving, damnit!

"Get up!" He called to the room. Meredith glanced up at him from where she was sitting with Bonnie on the couch, Elena and Stefan looking interestedly at him from the love seat. He repeated himself. "C'mon. This is a holiday and we're going to act like it!"

Meredith gave a worried glance at Bonnie who was staring at the wall, "Matt, I don't think any of us are in a holiday mood."

"Besides, the grocery stores are all closed and we'll probably lose power soon." Elena reasoned, rubbing tired hands together. She hadn't slept the night before, nobody had since Damon had shown up with a bloody Bonnie.

"All the more reason," he said stubbornly, "to be thankful for something. We've got turkey and we can make a party."

"Matt..." Stefan began.

"I think we should." Bonnie's voice was soft and scratchy, the first time she'd spoken all day. She glanced around the room as if seeing it for the first time, "We could use some fun..."

Meredith rubbed her back, giving her a tiny smile. "If Bonnie is up to it, that's what we'll do."

Bonnie gave a little stretch, more and more of herself flowing back into the haunted eyes. Her voice had determination behind it, despite the waver. "I was attacked...I didn't die. It wasn't even that bad...Where's Damon?"

Elena and Stefan shared a glance, Elena's words careful. "He went out to hunt."

Bonnie frowned, but then leaned her head against Meredith's shoulder and Matt let out a sigh of relief she hadn't asked more. Damon was hunting alright, but it was wolves on the menu. He'd cut his rescue a little close this time and was taking out his anger on the wolves. Matt suppressed a shudder, the anger on Damon's face when he'd shown up with a nearly dead Bonnie had been worse than anything Matt had ever seen. He pushed it away, if Bonnie could try and move on the rest of them certainly could. "I can roast the turkey over the fire even if we lose power. Just like fair turkey legs..."

Elena gave them a sheepish smile, "I'm pretty sure I can't ruin mashed potatoes."

Stefan gave her a fond smile, "It's a good thing I don't have to eat, isn't it? I can certainly pour wine..."

"Meredith? Can you make your mom's sausage stuffing?" Bonnie's voice was hopeful.

Meredith nodded, "We do have enough chorizo for that."

Bonnie's face lit up and she cringed, some of the bruises still bothering her. "We've got some green beans in the pantry, I can do green bean casserole...maybe a cake too if we have enough eggs."

"No." Matt protested, beating the rest to the punch. "You're not doing anything, just resting."

Bonnie shook her head and Meredith backed him up. "Matt's right, Bonnie. You're not healed yet, nothing until you've had a bit more blood at least."

"When?" Bonnie asked Stefan, turning huge, hopeful brown eyes on Stefan.

Stefan frowned, calculating, then frowned again. "You have to wait for Damon. I'm not sure how strong he is right now and I don't want to risk tipping you over the Edge, Bonnie."

"I'm not going to Change!" She protested for what seemed like the thousandth time, despite how close she had come in the aftermath of the wolf attack. Their eyes bored into her, it had taken vampire blood simultaneous to a human transfusion of Elena's blood to keep her in her current state.

Bonnie changed her tune under their glare. "I'm going to stay human...and as a human I want turkey!"

"I can do that." Matt responded, pride and enthusiasm rushing him like it was a bowl game.

…...

"C'mon guys, just because the power is out doesn't mean we have to quit!" Matt encouraged, still hacking the half frozen turkey into workable pieces.

"What are you? The thanksgiving cheerleader?" Elena complained, staring at her formerly boiling water.

"He would make a better cheerleader than quarterback." Damon mused, appearing at the back door without a flake of snow on him. He came in, dropping his voice. "Did she get any sleep?"

Meredith shook her head, her face looking especially harsh in the candlelight. "How was the hunt?"

Damon's answering grin was feral enough to not need words. Matt shuddered as Damon passed, moving towards his patient in the living room. Meredith's answering grin was equally as fierce and Matt glanced at her, pushing the bloodshed aside in ode to the pilgrims. "You could probably use the baby blowtorch to toast the stuffing..."

"Nice thinking." She agreed, digging under the cabinet as Stefan swept into the kitchen.

"Bonnie would like to know how _her_turkey is coming?" Stefan shared a smile with Elena, "If she's being demanding she must be feeling better, right?"

Matt picked up the platter, "I'll go show her. It's ready to go on the fire anyway."

Stefan reached out and caught his arm, shooting a significant glace to the living room. "Wait a moment."

"Oh." Matt set it back down and leaned against the counter to wait, feeling a touch sick at the thought. He didn't want to think about her drinking blood, no matter how necessary it was. His mind took another leap into the absurd, anything to banish the image of her mouth coated in cherry red. "Anyone remember how to make those little paper pilgrim hats?"

…...

Elena kept glancing at the backdoor, "Meredith do you hear that scratching sound?"

Meredith made a face and kept chopping her onions. "Its probably just an animal, ignore it."

Elena couldn't though, she kept imagining some cute furry creature freezing out there in the blizzard. She had an innate need to save everything, any sort of creature that was suffering even when it wasn't in her best interest. So she ignored Meredith and ripped open the door, her heart melting at the soaking wet kitten. She scooped it into her arms, "Awww, poor kitty."

"Elena..." Meredith started and turned towards her to see, she bustled across the kitchen, shutting the door against the blizzard winds.

"It's a baby, Meredith. Look its chattering!" Elena began moving across the kitchen, intending to get a towel to warm it up. She slipped on a wet patch, fumbling for balance as Meredith came towards her to help. She went down, watching the kitten fly from her arms in arc...an arc that ended with Meredith's face.

There was screeching and scratching, a yelp of pain and then the kitten was flying away from Meredith. It landed on it's feet with an arched back, hissing at them. Elena turned from it to Meredith's bloody face, Meredith was wiping at bloody scratches, "Get it out!"

It took off like a banshee heading for the main part of the house and Elena rushed towards Meredith, yelling over her shoulder. "Someone get the cat! Don't hurt it!"

She heard people take off after it, Bonnie's worried face appearing at the kitchen door. "Let me see."

"Sit down, Bonnie." Meredith ground out, waving a bloody towel back towards the living room.

Bonnie limped in towards them anyway, her movements stronger than they had been this morning. Healing with vampire blood in increments certainly was less impressive than in one fantastical go, the only benefit being she wouldn't become a vampire this way. "Let me see, we have to clean the cuts so you don't get cat scratch fever."

"Redbird..." Damon chastised, appearing behind her and steadying her. Bonnie half turned, reaching up two fingers to touch his cheek for a moment, forestalling his chastising. Elena looked away, biting the inside of her cheek. She had chosen Stefan, but it didn't mean her feelings for Damon had faded overnight. She was used to having them both and seeing him tender with someone else wasn't easy. In the end it didn't matter, he wasn't hers to have anymore. Bonnie was reaching her and Meredith, pulling away the towel with practiced fingers.

"You know Elena, this is the second year you've thrown a cat at someone..." Bonnie said casually.

…...

"It'll be great, guys..." Matt encouraged, grabbing his little paper hat and plopping it on his head. Nobody looked particularly excited and he didn't blame them. Their feast looked different than any other thanksgiving he had ever had. Char-roasted turkey, half fried mashed potatoes, delicious looking stuffing, cold green beans from the can and broccoli Bonnie had supposedly cooked.

Matt lifted his fork to his mouth, stilled by Bonnie's fierce little voice. "I'm thankful for...everyone here at this table. For this food, for this holiday, even for this blizzard. I'm thankful to be alive." Her voice wavered, strengthening, "God, Gods, Celestial court whatever bless us! Happy thanksgiving!"

"Amen!" A chorus of clinks and gulping of wine. Matt took his first bite, not bad. Not normal by any means, but not as terrible as it looked. Bandaged and broken as they were, this might be the best Thanksgiving they'd ever had. Turkey had never tasted so good, had never been so precious.

"Damon, you're not wearing your hat!" Bonnie protested with a mouth full of turkey.

"I don't do arts and crafts." The laconic reply was finished with a sip of black magic and a lazy smile.

"Then.." She decided carefully, "You can be an indian with us girls! We've got feathers in our hair and everything."

Several frowns appeared around the table, but nobody argued with her. Whether they were distracted by their feast or pampering her was anyone's guess, the down feather in her hair bobbing as she took tiny bites. Matt would sorely miss his pillow. The silence drug out as the humans ate and eventually Bonnie could stand it no longer, "What's for dessert?"

Matt tried not to blush and failed, "Canned pumpkin and cool whip."

Bonnie frowned, her face catching in the firelight. The frown smoothed away, the flame of the candles looking huge in her reflected pupils. The voice coming from her was blank, "Eternity is here."

A pause, exchanged glances and a careful question, voiced but not directed explicitly at her. "Vampires? Or more?"

"No." The blank voice paused, "Eternal life kissed by water, damned by water..."

Then it broke, blank flame became roaring fire again and she was pitching into the potatoes. Meredith's hand whipped her backwards, a harsh yank holding the lolling head above food, gravy still smeared across the freckles. Elena's voice was shaky, "She's just talking about the water from the fountain of eternal youth, in the evian bottle."

But somehow nobody believed her.

Matt's valiant run at thanksgiving dissolved quickly after that, Bonnie watched on the couch as plates were cleared in a sombre silence and wine drank in a desperate rush. Still, he consoled himself, turkey was had and a holiday celebrated with success. Damon hadn't ruined his thanksgiving as promised. A black chuckle came across the room and Matt looked over from the fireplace in alarm.

Damon gave him a ghost of a smile, his voice low enough not to carry to the kitchen where the rest of their friends were cleaning. "Tsk tsk, Mutt. You should learn to listen better...I promised to ruin _one _of your Thanksgivings, not specifically this one."

Matt allowed himself a groan.

…...

Bonnie sat up in a rush, her head swimming with fluff and fuzz. "Turkey?"

"We already ate. You tranced." Meredith's voice was calm, used to soothing her fears. She pressed a glass of black magic into the shaky hands. Damon steadied her hands, helping her lift the glass to her lips.

"I hate trancing." Bonnie murmured, rubbing her face, still dazed. She didn't know where the wine had gone as she leaned back into someone's chest. She turned into it for a moment, reveling in the expensive smell, before more words drifted from her. "I want pie."

"Canned pumpkin and whip cream is all I got." Matt offered, blue eyes undisturbed by the prospect.

"Thanksgiving fairy." She mumbled, before feeling the fog in her mind lift in disappointment. It wasn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. "S'mores at least?"

He burst upwards from the floor, racing for the kitchen. "On it!"

Elena passed him with a frown, sipping her own glass of wine. "He's waaay too into this. I'm a little concerned..."

Stefan shrugged, holding out his blanket for her. "He's into thanksgiving, so what? Let him have his fun."

"You're talking about him like he's five." Meredith observed dryly.

"Mentally, he is." Damon offered sardonically, his chest rumbling behind Bonnie's ear.

She couldn't stop her smile, even as she tried to chastise him. "Damon, its thanksgiving..."

"I'm not american." He pointed out haughtily.

He was thoroughly ignored as Matt returned with a plate of marshmallows, graham crackers and left over halloween candy. He shot all of them a dirty look seeing Elena open her mouth, "It's a blizzard, take what you can get, princess."

She shut her mouth and snatched a twix, sticking out her tongue as she did it. Bonnie twisted in her comfy seat making eye contact with the vampire she was reclining against, "Snickers s'more please."

He opened his mouth and shut it at the bruises on her face. His fault or not he carried the guilt of every mark on her as a weight on his soul. Damon was none too polite about any of it, demanding the ingredients with pride. Nonetheless, he attempted to roast a marshmallow, succeeding only in lighting it on fire against Bonnie's squeals. "You're burning it! Burning it! Put it outttt!"

Damon threw it back in the fire in a huff, "I've never been to any _campfire.__" _It was a sneer, it was wounded pride.

Matt provided her with her desire; melted snickers and charred marshmallow between stale graham crackers. She took tiny bites, none too hungry but pressured under the watchful eyes of the group. Bonnie knew she wouldn't Change, no matter how much of Damon's blood she drank tonight. She would have seen something as drastic.

_Then__ you __should __have __seen__ what __happened,__ no?_ Cool and black, an undercurrent of anger running through the thought. She frowned at Damon in response and he gave her a half smile, "Eat up, little bird."

"Bonnie..." Elena said, ever so casually, "this is the second Thanksgiving you've tranced. A tradition?"

Bonnie stuck out her tongue in response, laughter bubbling around the room at her childishness. "As long as that's my only tradition, I'm ok with it!"

"Are you saying I'm expected to do _this _every year?" Damon asked, glancing around the room in horror.

"Well, hopefully not like this every year, no. I prefer the idea of real turkey and real pie." Elena glanced at Matt, "No offense Matt."

Matt shrugged, "Turkey is turkey in my book. But we should see each other every year, we've been through enough together to be thankful we're all still alive..."

Bonnie gave Matt a bright smile, before frowning at her s'more. "I still wish we had pecan pie."

"Now that would be something to be thankful for." Meredith said dryly, raising an eyebrow and a glass of wine.

…...


	2. Matt vs Toddlers

Summary: Matt's adventures continue, this year as a guest at the McCullough's. What he doesn't know is that Damon will also be joining them.

AN: Thanks to ShadowVargr and daydreamer4life2011 for reviews! As always, nothing is owned and everything is meant in jest.

Sophomore Year: Matt vs. Turkey

Matt paused at the cooler to grab a beer, deciding Mr. McCullough wouldn't mind, then headed for the cluster of people. Mrs. McCullough passed him on his way, giving him an apologetic smile as she rushed by. "I see smoke..."

Matt glanced back as he joined the men, seeing towels waving smoke out of the kitchen window. Nobody out here looked particularly concerned, Mr. McCullough was laughing. "Maureen must have tried to help."

"Hi Mr. McCullough, thank you for having us over. " Matt offered, glancing at the frying turkey.

"Anytime." Matt turned his attention to the other man, one who he still held in a bit of awe. Bridget's husband had been Robert E. Lee's quarterback when Matt was in middle school, won a state championship, a Heisman trophy in college and married the girl who had shone brighter than Elena in her day. "Hey Walt. How's it going?"

"Same as always. No bowl game this year?" Matt winced at the question, they'd just missed the glory this year.

"Nope, we lost most of our first string offense. You ever miss the game?" Matt took a sip of his beer, not wanting to go into the reasons why he'd lost most of his offense. Some had been part of the wave of disappearances, some part of the werewolf frat Damon had eradicated. What had started as a wolf attack on Bonnie and a retaliation by Damon had become a full on war, Damon vs. every wolf in Virginia.

Walt shrugged, "Yes and no. I miss the rush and the glory, yeah but not the bruises. Heck, I'd give anything to still have a working shoulder."

"Could have gone all the way to the NFL if not for that sack." Mr. McCullough commented before glancing at the house. He turned to Matt, "So who's the surly..." he paused for a moment as if he was going to say something else, "...kid on my living room couch?"

"Damon Salvatore, he's Stefan's older brother." Matt replied, curiously watching as Mr. McCullough pursed his lips.

"Why's he here? Dating Bonnie is he?" was frowning at this, "I don't want another Mary on my hands, not that I don't love Connie..."

Matt winced at the question, then shrugged. "Nowhere else to go, Stefan went with Elena out of town." Mr. McCullough was still looking at him, brown eyes staring him down. "I don't think they're dating."

"And you and Bonnie?" Mr. McCullough's bluntness was usually one of Matt's favorite things about him, not today.

Matt shrugged again, drinking the rest of his beer in a gulp. "Just friends. I've been seeing one of the cheerleaders on and off."

The backdoor opened and Mr. McCullough dropped his voice so whoever was heading their way wouldn't hear it, "You'll have to make a move eventually, son. Otherwise leather guy..."

"Leather guy has exceptionally good hearing." A suave voice came and Matt made a face, he really didn't want Damon to ruin his thanksgiving, but here he was all the same. Bonnie had failed to mention he was coming when she'd invited he and his mom over.

Damon joined them, thrusting a sticky, but happy, toddler at Walt. "I think this belongs to you."

Walt took his child, looking startled but not unwilling. "Daddy! He's never had a cookie, isn't that weeeeirrrd?"

Walt glanced at Damon, then back to the house. "Where are the rest of them?"

"The living room." Damon shrugged, "I don't do diapers."

The comment earned him general laughter then Walt disappeared, presumably to see if anyone was in charge of the children. Matt watched him go, turning back to Bonnie's father and Damon glaring at each other. "Bonnie tells me you've got no family here."

A tiny twist of the head, "They died. A long time ago." There was something self amused in the last remark and Matt had an urge to slap him.

Damon glanced at Matt, his smile flashing on and off instantaneously. Matt had to keep himself from making a face, he hated when Damon read his thoughts and was smug about it. As much as he wanted to see this conversation, this smack down of Damon's ego by he didn't stick around. He'd love to see Damon eat crow, but there was delicious shrimp dip calling his name. "I'm going to help Walt."

…...

"Oh look, Bonnie's little date is trying to make nice with dad." Maureen said and Bonnie glanced up in reflex, her stomach clenching. She moved over to the kitchen window, craning her neck to see. Damon stood relaxed, with a fixed, lazy smile on his face and her father had a similar, if stiffer pose. She frowned again, her father was standing awfully close to the turkey fryer, one little kick was all it would take to send hot oil all over Damon.

"Oh no." It slipped out, "I didn't want this to happen!"

Her older sister cocked an eye at her, "Then why did you bring him? You know dad..."

Bonnie wrung the towel in her hand nervously, she knew her father...but her father didn't know Damon. "He had nowhere to go. We're not dating!"

"Uh huh." Bridget chimed in, her voice unbelieving.

Bonnie spun on her sisters, angry. They'd always ganged up on her before, bullied her because she the youngest, the smallest, the most different. "If we were, would I have invited Matt and his family?"

This stumped Maureen and Bridget, glances passing between them until a third voice came, pedantic and amused. "What can you do with two that you can't do with one?"

Bonnie spun, ignoring words that she'd heard the words before. She rushed her heavily pregnant sister, "Mary! Go sit down, you don't need to do a thing."

Mary didn't protest, instead claiming a chair at the kitchen nook. She looked amused, "Mrs. Honeycutt and Mom seem to be hitting it off. They're being real chummy..."

"Already planning a wedding." Maureen decided.

"You are the only one left, Bonnie." Bridget chimed in, laughing heartily.

Bonnie groaned, she was only 19, this couldn't be happening yet. Instead she put an end to it the only way she knew how, begging. "Don't! Not on Thanksgiving..."

"Team Matt." Bridget declared, allying with the one who most resembled her own loving husband.

"Team Damon. Go for sexy, Bon." Maureen countered, always at odds with Bridget.

"Girls...I don't want to hear the word sexy in this kitchen." Their mother started, sweeping in from the sitting room where she was entertaining Mrs. Flowers and Mrs. Honeycutt. She grabbed the sugar and as she was sweeping back out her voice dropped low enough to not carry through the doors, "Team Matt. He puts the honey in Honeycutt."

There was a roar of laughter at this, the McCullough women united in holiday mirth.

"Team Bonnie!" Bonnie protested when it had calmed down enough, she truly wasn't dating either of the boys. Not that she didn't want too...

"Am I interrupting something?" Matt asked, a pink tinge to his cheeks as he appeared from the living room carrying an empty dip bowl with a toddler clutching his leg.

Bonnie blushed in return as her sisters laughed around her, "My mom..." She shook her head, out of words. She snatched the bowl away from him. "I'll get you more dip."

"I can get it." Matt protested, turning a slightly deeper shade of crimson.

"Why are you all red?" The little voice around Matt's kneecap asked.

"I...ate a tomato?" He started then floundered and turned to Bonnie, redder than before."Do you want more wine or something?"

"Oh hello ladies." Damon was leaning against the kitchen window from the outside, his eyes grazing Bonnie's second older sister. "Maureen..."

Her sister blushed, discreetly twisting her wedding band to hide the diamonds. "Damon, anything I can get for you?"

Bonnie turned back to Matt with a smile, watching him shake his head in disgust. She couldn't entirely cover the giggle that escaped. The velvety black voice making a request, "Two beers for your dad and I?"

Matt frowned, grabbing the proffered beers from Maureen. "I'll take them out."

"Take the kids with you." Bridget begged, "They need to run around a bit before we eat..."

He nodded and moved back towards the house, his voice carrying back. "Walt, we're supposed to take the kids out back."

"Well that was cute." Mary commented. "I ate a tomato! Adorable. He even helps with the kids, Bonnie..."

Bonnie shook her head, going back to the stove and getting back to work. She was not getting dragged into another debate about these particular boys. A comfortable silence fell, broken by Matt reappearing in the kitchen, giving them a less red smile. "Can I get another-"

"Beer please?" Walt cut him off, appearing behind him. Matt glanced back in confusion.

"Who's watching the kids?" Bridget asked.

"Your dad." Walt said, opening the fridge and sticking his head in.

Bridget shook her head, "He's in the garage with Damon. I heard the door open..."

Mary screamed from her place at the table, rising and pointing out the window. "Robbie, no!"

Bonnie turned to look in horror, watching the four year old racing across the yard straight towards the turkey fryer yelling "Turkey! Turkey!"

"Walt!" Bridget screamed and he took off towards the living room. There was no way he could make it in time. Maureen was already scrambling for a phone to call emergency services, Mary still screaming at the child.

Matt looked at them, then at the window, took two steps back and raced forward with a sharp, "Bonnie move!"

She flattened herself against the stove just as he leaped, using one hand to springboard himself off the counter and directly out the big bay kitchen window. He hit the ground with a thump and a stumble then took off after the child, just a few feet away from the turkey friar. He made good time, but the distance was still too much. Matt dove, grabbing the little boy and rolling with him just as little Robbie's hands were reaching for the side of the fryer. They tumbled sideways, out of danger, sliding to a stop at 's feet. Matt was lying on his back, stunned toddler pressed to his chest.

Bridget was clutching hands to her chest, as she raced out of the kitchen. "Thank god for Matt. He's just saved my little Robbie."

Bonnie's own heart was still racing, watching as Matt handing the stunned toddler upwards to her father, staying still on the ground. She began to follow Bridget from the kitchen, Maureen's weak voice stopping her. "Bonnie?"

"Yeah?" Bonnie half turned.

"I'm team Matt now..." Bonnie gave her pale older sister and nodded, not comprehending or caring. She raced through the house, out into the backyard and the little knot of people.

Matt was still catching his breath on his back, commotion going on around him. Bonnie shooed them a few feet away, "Give him room to breathe!"

They did and she squatted down next to him, heedless of her dress. She gave him a genuine smile, reaching out to grab his hand, brushing dirt out of the cuts. "Thank you, Matt. That was...amazing."

"You know me...nothing gets in between me and Thanksgiving." His breathless voice was as weak as the joke.

She squeezed his hand in response, giving him a fond smile."Our very own Thanksgiving fairy."

He sat up and laughed, wincing and grabbing at his side. "Can't I get a more manly nickname?"

A shadow fell over them and Bonnie glanced up, seeing Damon. His voice wasn't as snappy as usual. "But thanksgiving fairy has a certain ring to it, don't you think?"

Matt started to scowl, stopping at the hand reaching down towards him. He took it, letting the vampire pull him up. Startled, he managed a "Thanks."

Damon handed him a beer with a shrug and Bonnie and Matt looked back and forth at each other. Matt in confusion, Bonnie in delight. Damon noticed and turned away, "Don't get used to it, fairy boy."

…...

"I'm thankful for mommy and daddy and goldfish crackers...And Maffew for today." Bonnie's nephew declared at the table, earning chuckles as everyone turned to Matt. He looked comfortable enough with this ritual from Mrs. Flower's family. Bonnie was still worried though, she had a niggling feeling in her stomach. Last thanksgiving had gone horribly wrong in a variety of ways. But Bonnie wasn't worried about Matt, his thanks would be easy and predictable. She was worried about the vampire to her left, currently choking down mashed potatoes. The black eyes sparkled at her, correcting her thoughts about the quarterback to her right. _Easy __and __predictable. __And __so __very __human.__ I'm __more __curious __what __you'll __be __thankful __for, __redbird._

At her own plate Bonnie blushed as Matt raised his glass, her own thoughts angry, even though she knew this interaction wasn't his fault. They'd been overhearing each others thoughts more and more lately. _Don't __eavesdrop!_

He smiled to himself, the thought coming back rapid fire over Matt's opening words. _What's__ that __buzzing __in __your __mind?_

Bonnie frowned to herself_,_not bothering to tell Damon not to worry. Not now, she begged some silent God, not at Thanksgiving dinner. Not again. Still the persistent buzzing got louder, almost drowning out Matt sincere words. "...for a loving family and supportive friends. Not to forget Mrs. Flowers and football!"

There were fond smiles around the table, expectant eyes looking to her. Bonnie managed to shake her head, swatting futilely at the prophecies threatening to swallow her whole. She gave a weak gesture to Damon, "Guests first."

She had felt him considering the question of thanks since Mrs. Flowers had first raised it, a relic of her time as she'd called it. Damon's dark voice was surprisingly honest, his black eyes holding Bonnie's brown ones, words interspersed with thoughts. "I'm thankful for second chances." _With __family._"Good company," _Of __the __redheaded __variety,_"Good food and good whiskey."

There was a soft chuckle at the table at this, Bonnie's father raising a glass as Damon went on, "And good friends." Bonnie was looking away, but she could have sworn those dark eyes flickered over to include Matt in his gaze before resting on her.

She felt the rest of the table turn towards her and took a deep breath, still swatting away at the prophetic thoughts. "I'm thankful for family and food tonight. For the best of friends," she glanced purposefully at Matt, "and a strong shoulder to cry on." As she moved her eyes back to Damon the candle caught her gaze, swallowing her, her words and her world whole.

…...

"Oh boy." Matt gave an internal sigh, not realizing he'd spoken aloud as he moved his hands into the familiar catching position.

Bonnie was staring blank eyed and slack faced into the candle, a bland voice coming from her stiff lips.

"Mary, Mary quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With little wails, foretelling yells.

and pretty braids all in a bow.

Mistress Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With little rebels, sacred tells.

and pretty trades all in a row."

"Bonnie, what are you talking about?" Bridget's voice was high, her fingers white on her husband's arm.

Those blank eyes turned towards her, ignoring the shushing signs. "A child like you, a child like me."

Then she was pitching forward, Matt's anxious fingers tangling with Damon's enough to let her face touch the mashed potatoes in her plate ever so slightly. Another failed catch, another ruined Thanksgiving, one glance into the black eyes had Matt frowning. Was this the specified ruin it all year?

He tried to pull Bonnie back, finding resistance in Damon's hands. "I've got her."

"Do you now?" Damon queried, letting her go, the double meaning floating across the silent table. Matt gave him a smarmy smile back, his chair scraping backwards as he lifted her into his arms.

…...

Matt took another drink, truly impressed at how easily Bonnie's parents had swept her vision under the rug. She'd been propped on the couch, leaning against Matt himself, a fresh drink in his hand and liquor flowing liberally for all the guests as they cleaned up. She'd been moved as easily as child, a strong whiskey on the table to revive her, not a word said about the channeling. Matt glanced around idly, but Mary's calm form was nowhere to be seen. Matt tucked the blanket around her a bit better, giving her a tiny squeeze to see if she would wake. He'd watched Mrs. Flowers hushing his mother, rushing her off for a cup of tea. That would be a fun conversation later.

Damon sat down on Bonnie's other side, lifting Bonnie's limp arm and letting it drop. "Well, that was _interssante_. It seems a thanksgiving tradition, no?"

Matt shrugged at him, suddenly the vampire didn't seem so terrible with the haze of turkey, liquor and good feeling flowing through him. "I guess they're used to it, though they freaked out enough after Sue's funeral."

One black eyebrow lifted and dropped, no rancor lurking in the voice for once. "That didn't happen here, wrong timeline."

Matt shrugged, it was so long ago who could remember what was fact and what was memory? "When did it happen then? It's clearly not the first time.."

A clinking of ice and Matt turned, finding a pensive Mr. McCullough. He gave them a half smile, though it never reached his eyes. "Since she was small, though she doesn't remember any of it." He shrugged, glancing back towards the kitchen. "She's the only one, if you're wondering. The rest..." he shook his head, taking a sip.

Damon straightened up, taking his own sip of whiskey, interest drifting through the lazy tones. "The rest what?"

Bonnie stirred like a kitten in the crook of Matt's arm, sitting up with a small yawn. Her voice was muddled, incredibly childlike as she looked at her father in confusion, "Daddy?"

"Hi, honey." It was all he said and in the gentle tones it was enough. Bonnie glanced around, rubbed her eyes and pitched sideways the other way, snuggling into Damon with a murmur.

Damon straightened the blanket around her unabashedly, meeting Matt's eyes, the familiar confrontation lurking in the black. "She sleeps best when she feels safe."

Matt looked away, taking another long drink to cover his lingering anger. It wasn't at Damon, or even at Bonnie, just at what the wolf pack had tried to do to her in retaliation for Damon's rage last year. Last year had been bad enough and this year, Matt shuddered. In the last few days since the attack, she'd been a mess and Damon seemed to be the only salve. Forgotten, but not unaware Bonnie's father spoke, a concerned gesture at the small girl between them. "What happened this semester?"

Matt glanced at Damon and said nothing, Damon echoing the uncomfortable silence. If Bonnie hadn't told him any of what had happened so far in her eventful life, now was certainly not the time to start. Mr. McCullough didn't seem keen on giving up, instead demand weaving into his words. "I have a right to know why she's woken us all up screaming, unconsolable every night this break..."

Matt glanced at Damon and though the vampire looked at ease, lounging more determinedly than Matt had ever seen him, he could tell every word was cutting him like a knife. Matt stood, finishing his drink. He was not dealing with this, not on Thanksgiving. Besides, he wasn't even exactly sure what had happened. Bonnie hadn't even told Meredith or Elena. His voice was sharper than he meant it. "I wasn't there, an away game."

Then he headed down the hallway for the bathroom, finding himself stopping out of sight, the familiar guilt wrenching in him. This was thanksgiving, he told himself quietly, and nothing had happened. Though it might have if Damon hadn't been so close. Today at least, he could be thankful for Damon, if only for his soft spot when it came to Bonnie. 's voice drifted to him, "Damon?"

There was a beat of silence, then a returned. "Colin." Soft ruffling sounds, "Nothing actually happened."

"But..." 's anger was lurking dangerously into a lilt and Matt winced in anticipation for Damon, the lilt meant business in this household.

"But nothing." The return was terse and Matt winced for this time. Their whole house knew Damon hated how close he'd cut it this time. A razor's line between witch and new werewolf. "I protected your daughter." The snap turned to steel, "I'll always be there in time."

"And whoever did 'nothing' to her?" 's voice was thoughtful, not angry.

Matt winced again, Damon certainly wasn't above casually telling someone he'd taken out an entire wolf pack and then some just to see them go pale in the face. He came back around the corner, worried at the silence dragging out. Damon gave him a half smile, amusement. "They won't be bothering anyone, anymore."

's brown eyes shot to Matt in a touch of alarm, Matt ignored him, the guilt and anger snapping out. "You said that last year too, Damon." Matt waved his hand as Damon began to argue, "Let's just focus on being thankful nothing happened." He turned back to , ending the line of conversation. "Got any funny stories about Bonnie?"

The world shifted back into normal, 's hearty laugh overcompensating for the weirdness he'd just witnessed. "Looking for blackmail on my little girl? Is she not doing her fair share of the chores?"

Bonnie sat up again, rubbing her eyes and looking around in bleary confusion. She was never all the way there after a trance. "Damon, why are we on the couch not in bed?"

A glass hit the floor and Matt turned in horror to look at 's reddening face, the scotsman's lilt furious. "Bonnie McCullough! That boy better not ever be in your bed."

She seemed to think about this for a moment, her brain still not functioning. "He's not...we're usually in his bed."

"Bonnie!" Another shrieking lilt, her mother wiping hands on her apron, bursting out of the kitchen in a fury.

All eyes turning on the boy in question, Damon looked resigned and Matt was close enough to hear the muttered, "_Scopa.__"_

Matt smiled to himself, for once it was Damon's thanksgiving ruined. He would thoroughly enjoy watching this.

…...

"I can't believe this!" Matt complained as they walked in the dark towards Meredith's house. "I wanted to see him get scalped!"

Bonnie's proud smile didn't match her attempt at prim, "Really, Matt? Indian references on thanksgiving! Tsk Tsk. We're scottish anyway."

Damon rolled his eyes at both of them, "They're native american and if you were scottish, you wouldn't be celebrating thanksgiving. You're american, redbird. Why do americans always claim to be from wherever they left?"

"You hush." Bonnie poked him, "Or we can go right back to my house and I can throw you under the bus just as quickly as I got you out of trouble."

"Please, let's!" Matt chimed in, he was still in awe of how skillfully Bonnie had manipulated her father. Anger to thanks in a matter of minutes, her eyes more innocent and wide than Matt had ever seen. He tried to imitate her, "Rather than, 'But daddy, it's nothingggggg. It's just to stop the nightmareeeeees.' You could totally try, 'But daddy, he is evillll. He bitesssss!"

"Are you still having a good Thanksgiving, Mutt?" Damon's silky voice was friendly enough, still a reminder that he had promised to ruin Matt's thanksgiving.

"Damnit! Don't you dare. Why am I even spending my holiday with you? I don't even like you." Matt raged as the bag of leftovers he'd been carrying when flying into the street, a casual smack by Damon.

"Matt stop!" Bonnie stepped in front of him, grabbing his shirt with a glance at Damon. "You're just drunk."

"Yes, Mutt, do stop. I'd hate to have to watch you throw up in the snow this Thanksgiving too..." Damon said silkily.

"You're out of luck. There's no snow this year." Matt shot back, prying Bonnie's fingers from his shirt.

"That can be arranged..." Damon drawled, his phone beginning to ring in his pocket.

Matt turned back to Bonnie, his rushed whisper harsh, "Get rid of him. It's not like Meredith, or her family, want to see him..."

"He's saved your life, Matthew Honeycutt!" Bonnie scolded, stopping at Damon's laughter.

Matt turned as well, tuning into the conversation. "At Aunt Judith you say? Why did she pick it up?"

A pause, Stefan's rushing voice muffled by the phone. Matt started walking again, dragging Bonnie with him. It was cold out and there was no reason to wait for Damon. Damon shook his head, "I'll tell them."

He snapped the phone shut, catching up with them in two strides. "Elena threw a cat at Aunt Judith this year. Seems Margaret found a new pet playing by the dumpster."

Bonnie shook her head anxiously, "Was Aunt Judith hurt?"

Damon shook his head again, in mild wonderment. "She dodged it."

"Why does Elena keep touching cats on Thanksgiving?" Matt asked aloud, as if an answer would appear out of thin air. His face lit up and he glanced at Damon. "I hope next year Elena throws it at you..."


	3. Matt vs Wolves

Summary: Thanksgivings keep getting harder for Matt Honeycutt and this year he has to play football on top of everything else. Ties to 'I Love College Series', set after Tequila Tuesday and Winesday, and before Margarita Monday.

A/N: Love the reviews :) This one got a bit weird and a bit long, but Matt needed some love.

**Hopelessdream2005:** you were dead on about the wolves, I just decided to tie it in directly with this one! **DavidFishwick:** We get to see more of here :) **Lula6791:** I love Damon and Matt moments too, from the snide remarks in the Original trilogy to the outright rudeness of the RT. **Daydreamer4life2011**: Oh Elena and the cats, sigh. She's hard to write so it's fun to have her well be not perfect.

Junior Year: Matt vs. the wolves

"Hold it like this, not like that." Matt said, readjusting the rifle on Bonnie's shoulder with a bit of trepidation. She let him shift it, her own face covered in unease. He smiled into her hair, "You'll break your collarbone if you hold it like that."

"Oh." Was the only reply he got as she steadied the weapon against her, squeezing her eyes shut as she pulled the trigger. It rocked her backwards, like it had during every other target practice they'd had.

She set it down, squinting down the range. "Did I hit the target?"

Matt looked through the binoculars and sighed. "I think we can officially declare you hopeless with the rifle. You're better off just hitting a wolf with it like a bat..."

She smacked him on the arm, "Can we go then? I'll carry the revolver if it makes you feel better."

"Yeah. I need to get some more sleep before the game anyway." He began packing up their bag in the predawn light. He was methodical about it, unease curling in his stomach. So far they hadn't seen a single wolf and while Damon was confident he'd gotten all of them in his blitz last week, Matt wasn't so sure.

Small arms engulfed him accompanied by a smacking kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry so much, Matt. I'll be fine, I promise."

He hugged her back fiercely, "You better be or I'll kill Damon."

She frowned and he let go of her, grabbing the bag with his own frown. He could never tell what things meant with her, if he was reading more into a hug and a kiss on a cheek than he should. This almost dating phase might actually be worse than pining over her and wondering if they could ever be. Clearly she wasn't agonizing over it, "Let's get you home and back to bed. I want to see you win your first Thanksgiving game!"

He caught her hand as they headed back for the car, saying the words in a rush. "I'll score you a touchdown, how about that?"

She turned back to him, laughter in her voice and a flirty smile on her face. "How about you win me a game? C'mon Honeycutt."

"And if I do?"

She pretended to think about it, pushing one finger into her cheek and twisting. "I'll give you a kiss, how about that?"

It was his turn to laugh and challenge her for more. "How about a kiss for every touchdown? C'mon McCullough."

She pursed her lips, but couldn't stop the smile. "Deal."

"Deal." He agreed, digging out the keys and tossing them to her. "You're driving, I need my rest if I'm going to win this game..."

She laughed, carefree and bright and Matt decided this was going to be her best Thanksgiving ever. He would make sure of it.

…...

"We're going to win!" Bonnie squealed, clapping her hands with a glance at the game clock. "He did it! I can't believe he did itttttttt!"

"Calm down, Bonnie." Meredith said, though she was clearly enjoying the rare win as well, still clapping furiously at Matt's last minute touchdown.

Bonnie took another sip of her hot chocolate, extra warm with the whiskey Elena had doused it with. She looked back up at the clock, only 15 seconds to go and she couldn't wait that long. "I can't! Matt was so amazing this game! So incredible."

"I know where this is going..." Meredith began, but Bonnie didn't hear her. She was already out of her seat, both hands on the railing to the field.

She made it half way through before Stefan grabbed her, "What are you doing?"

"Going to see Matt! Let's rush this field!" She swatted at Stefan and dropped to the ground with the other over eager, adrenaline crazed fans. Elena was already through as well, grinning like a crazy person. She took off at a run, letting Elena grab her hand as they started to yell his name.

He'd already gotten rid of his helmet and was jumping up and down with other players, the first wave of fans hitting their group. Bonnie threw her voice even louder, even shriller. "MATTTTTTT!"

He glanced around, but they weren't the only ones yelling for him. Elena kept her hold, shouldering through the wild crowd with a determined look and Bonnie followed her. They made it to Matt and he turned, a huge smile lighting up his face. "Hey! Did you see? We won!"

"You won! You were amazingggggg!" It was almost a shriek as she launched herself at him. Bonnie's joy could not be contained by single syllables, not restrained to remaining on the ground.

He caught her with a startled laugh, carefree as he steadied himself on his back foot. She managed to get her arms around his sweaty neck, still riding high on school spirit. "You brought us back! You won it for us!"

"I won it," he corrected, those bright blue eyes latching onto hers, the laughter in his voice being drowned out by something else. "for you."

The bright lights were beating down on them and the crowd was around them, wild, cheering and forgotten. It was one of those perfect moments Bonnie had always dreamed about, one where every piece had fallen into place and it didn't matter if he was sweaty or she was buzzed. There was only one thing left to make it even better and as he set her back on her feet she said the only thought she was able to form. "Seven touchdowns."

He pulled her right back off her feet, lips crashing against hers. She tightened her grip around his neck, hearing the whoops of the crowd around them fade away as fireworks exploded in her mind. Something was coming undone in her heart, feeling she hadn't known she'd had rushing out into her consciousness, sweetness unfolding all over. The kiss went on, passionate enough to make her head spin. It ended abruptly, icy water water rushing over them.

"What?" Bonnie shrieked, pulling away as another gatorade container was thrown over Matt, icy water soaking her again. He let her go, already turning back to his teammates yelling, "Hey!"

Bonnie looked around and blushed. People had been staring, she met Meredith's dark eyes and Meredith waved her camera. "Got it!"

She pushed wet bangs out of her face, a voice to her left calling her attention. "Excuse me? Can I get a quick interview with you?"

"What?" Bonnie asked in confusion, still trying to get some of the water off.

"I'm with the paper, we want to interview some of the fans. You seem like the girl to talk to." The girl gave her a sympathetic smile, "We can go to the locker room and get you some towels. I've got a press pass."

"Uh okay. Towels sound nice." Bonnie agreed, giving Meredith a face before she turned away and began walking with the girl.

Matt grabbed her hand, half turning back to her. "Hey where are you going?"

"For a towel." Bonnie responded, giving him a wry smile.

He gave her hand another squeeze, before letting it go with a sunny smile. "That was only one."

She smiled back, though in reality she felt a little confused. She'd been trying to give him a chance and had never thought she'd actually start really falling for him. This was going to be problematic. The girl was repeating herself. "Only one what?"

Bonnie glanced to the side, babbling to make up for ignoring her. "One kiss. Just a bet we made. Kiss for every touchdown."

"How romantic." She flipped out a notebook, "How long have the two of you been dating?"

"We're not." Bonnie's response was automatic, it was still way too new for that. Suddenly she was very glad Damon wasn't at the game, she didn't know if she could have faced those black eyes after kissing Matt like that.

"Oh..." The girl began.

Bonnie found herself backtracking, she didn't want to look like a floozy. "It's just really new. We've been friends for a long time."

"Sure, sure." The girl began, pausing to weave through a bit more of the crowd. "I thought you were dating one of Italian fellows?"

"He's just another roommate. Didn't you want to ask me about fan reactions?" Bonnie's laugh was a touch nervous as the got closer to the locker room, suddenly this girl seemed a little off. Why did she know about Damon, why did she know anything about Bonnie's life? Nobody outside their house knew anything about her and Damon, not that there was much to know.

"Oh yeah! Are you a huge fan of Dalcrest football?" The notebook was out, though she wasn't writing anything.

"Sure. I mean I stayed here to watch our first Thanksgiving game rather than go home." Bonnie was still distracted, her heart doing tiny nervous flips. She couldn't have feelings for Matt and Damon at the same time, she wasn't like that. Not that she was dating either of them, not that she would even give Damon another glance after..

"So you hate the Williamstown Wolves?" The girl pushed open doors to building and Bonnie followed her in, still distracted.

"No, it's just a rivalry." Bonnie said, suddenly ice went up her spine as they went through another set of doors. "What did you call them?"

The girl turned, her smile widening. "The Williamstown Wolves."

Bonnie glanced around, realizing for the first time they had walked into the visitor's locker room, various football players not far away. She took a step back, then another, warning bells going off. "Don't you mean the wolverines?"

"Not anymore." Someone behind her said and she spun, eyeing the football player blocking the door. Bonnie took a frantic step back, realizing she was trapped, but still refusing to believe this was happening. Another step back and she backed into a hot chest, arms tightening around her.

She flailed, screaming for Damon in her mind as aloud she opened her mouth to scream and was rewarded with a sharp kick to the gut. She choked on her air, sputtering to catch a breath as her mystery girl stood waiting, impassive. When Bonnie could lift her head again, she whimpered. Half of the boys were no longer just boys, some in the terrifying half wolf state, some fully changed. "The whole team?"

The quarterback spoke to her next, clearly enjoying her fear. "All it takes is a bite. Your vampire mate seems to forget that, we can always make more to up our ranks. With all of Virginia against him it's too bad he didn't come to the game..."

She whimpered again, fear beginning to take over. Damon had gone to take care of some wolves he'd caught the scent of, a decoy. "He's not mine. I was just kissing the Dalcrest quarterback for crying out loud."

He stepped forward, brushing a finger down the side of her cheek, no remorse lingering in his eyes. "I don't like him either."

_Stefan!_ Part of her was still screaming mentally, what little part wasn't taken over in terror. His stroked his finger back up her cheek, his nail digging in this time. She was trying not to remember last year, it had given her enough nightmares. Her voice came out small, "Why me?"

All she could think was 'Not again. Not again. Not again.' The laughter did nothing to soothe her fears, the coach appearing from a side office, half turned. The quarterback smiled, "You send a message."

He paused, leaning close enough that smell of his rancid breath filled her nostrils. "Besides we heard you were a lot of fun last year..."

She started screaming, her mind completely lost. .NotAgain.

…...

Matt glanced up, seeing Stefan go by at a full run. Elena's anxious face a few feet away from him, she was screaming above the crowd. "Matt! Get to the visiting team's locker room. They've got her!"

He turned and started to shove through the crowd as well, grabbing two of his linebackers. "Block for me. I've got to get to the locker room."

They didn't argue, something about the tone of his voice or the panic all over him had them start shoving crowd goers aside with a venom. "Why?"

Matt shoved another guy out of his way, why on earth was the crowd running this way? He took a moment to try and come up with a lie only to find it wasn't necessary as they broke through another wave of the crowd. Bonnie's shrill screams could be heard over the din, panicked and unrelenting. He tried yelling back, hoping she could hear him through the building. "Bonnie! Bonnie! We're coming!"

He raced over to Stefan, who had hands on the door and was yanking with all of his might. "They barricaded it."

"The windows are too high." Matt's own voice was high, he was so panicked his fingers were tingling.

"Move, Honeycutt." Ralph, one of his linebackers was backing up aligning himself with the door. Matt moved, glancing around for Ari only to see him racing back towards the field, waving his arms.

Ralph charged, shoulder down, helmet back on. He collided with the wooden door and kept going, right through it. They went through it right after him, Matt taking a moment to break the glass lining the walls, covering sports memorabilia. He grabbed the two metal bats, crosshatched there. "Where's Damon?"

He threw one of the bats to Ralph, leaving Stefan on his own. Stefan was already on the second set of doors, listening. "He's on his way and he's Pissed."

Stefan touched the handle, finding it wouldn't give, wrenched his hand downward snapping the lock. A female voice came from behind them, "He better be."

"Where's Elena?"

"At the humane society adoption spot trying to get help." Meredith's voice was cool, Elena had found her cats.

"Get ready, Meredith." Stefan said, easing the door open without a second glance. The silence was eerie, only the sound of showers running with nobody visible. Matt stepped in first, too anxious to wait, why wasn't Bonnie screaming? Two more steps and a wolf was flying at him, howling. He swung, felt the bat connect with a sickening crunch and didn't even bother to watch it fly into the lockers.

It was mayhem after that, wolves growling and leaping, half formed men charging wildly. Matt just kept swinging, trying to move his way forward. But there was too many, no matter how many he hit, more kept coming. He backed up, his back hitting Meredith's and took a glance around. The four of them were surrounded and Matt suddenly felt terrible Ralph had come in with them. He shot Ralph a glance, but with his helmet still on Matt couldn't see how freaked out he was. Right now Matt didn't care, he was fighting off the sinking realization this was a no win situation.

The locker room doors swung open again and they all looked; wolves, humans and vampires. The rest of Dalcrest's football team had arrived and were charging forward, police trying to get to the front. The wolves broke rank and Matt started swinging again, making ground this time with each crunch. He came to a crossroads, to the running showers or to the coach's office up the stairs to his right?

He chose the stairs, jumping out of a way of a flying wolf and raced upwards. He kicked the door open, his relief at seeing Bonnie alive and fighting so great he almost staggered. "Get away from her."

The half wolf half quarterback holding her down turned towards Matt, his face covered in blood from one of his eye sockets. "Make me."

Matt lifted the bat and took another step forward, Bonnie's frantic yell a second too late. "Look out!"

A wolf hit him in the side, knocking Matt over and sending the bat rolling away. He was struggling with the creature, barely keeping the teeth snapping at his neck away. His arms were so tired and the wolf so heavy. Dimly he could hear Bonnie still struggling and the sharp cracks of breaking glass, her high voice screaming at someone. "Get Matt! Matt first!"

Then the wolf was thrown off him almost casually, flying through the only unbroken window. Damon was above him, all fury and blackness before streaking across the room, eyeing the half wolf man. "You I will deal with in a minute."

"Deal with me now!" The creature charged and Damon side stepped him neatly, almost rolling his eyes at the stupidity. As he went by he grabbed the man and threw him out the window after the other one. There was a thump and a howl as it landed back in the main locker room. He didn't spare it a second glance, he'd told it later.

"Are you ok?" They were both converging on Bonnie now, the small wolf cowering in the corner ignored for now. Her face was swollen and she was trying to sit up, her arms giving out from trying to hold her weight.

"No." Her voice was thick, as if her tongue was swollen. She saw the looks on their faces and changed her mind, some of her stubborn bravery appearing. "But I will be."

Damon nodded, it was enough for the moment. He stood still a moment, shutting his eyes before releasing a dark wave of power even Matt could feel. The broken windows chattered in their frames and the wolf in the corner sunk to the ground quiet. Damon's eyes opened, his voice almost a hiss at Matt. "You get her out. I don't care what happens, Get. Her. Out."

Matt nodded, it was clear enough. He would rip Damon's head off about letting this happen later. "And you?"

The grin he got in return was savage, "I get to clear the way."

Damon moved towards the window, pausing for a second to stare at Bonnie. Their eyes met, something unsaid passing between them, like fire and lightening. She nodded faintly and he turned away, leaping out the window to take his rage out on whatever wolves were left. Matt closed the distance to Bonnie in two steps, realizing for the first time how bloody she was. She was pressing on her stomach, his voice shook. "Let me see."

She let him pry his hands away, let him wipe some of the blood away with his jersey. Let him see the half carved phrase there, "Goodnight, Swee-"

His exhale was a shaking wash of terror. "Klaus?"

Bonnie nodded, but her voice was surprisingly calm. "He's still locked away, but he can still touch dreams in this realm..." The calm broke, two shaky breaths before words returned, "At least we know why they target me."

Matt nodded, saying the only thing he could. "Later." He wrapped an arm around her, sweat and blood making it slippery, "Can you walk?"

Bonnie edged herself off her the desk, her bloody altar. She put one foot on the floor, the second giving out beneath her. Matt steadied her taking her weight and her voice was weak with pain, "He broke my ankle for clawing his eye."

"Good girl. I'll carry you." He lifted her gently to his arms, seeing for the first time the grotesque angle her arm was hanging at. No wonder she hadn't been able to hold her weight up.

"I can walk." She protested unconvincingly, letting her face rest against his chest.

"And I can fly. Let's just get you home." There was no snap in the words as he grabbed his abandoned bat. Just a mission that needed doing.

…...

"I just want to eat turkey." Matt said into his hands, rubbing his face for what seemed like the thousandth time. He'd been sitting on this curb for what seemed like hours, waiting for the police to release all of them from this nightmare. There had been EMTs and interviews, news crews and animal control.

"Have some more." Elena said, sounding equally as tired as she passed a flask over. He took it, glancing at her haggard face, she managed a weak smile. "I just want some dressing."

Matt shook it, empty. Just as well, they already had overlooked charging him for assault. There was no need to add drinking in public. "It's Thanksgiving, for crying out loud."

"Matt?" The hesitant, yet frantic voice sounded familiar.

"Mom?" He queried, standing just as he got wrapped into a warm hug, his mother burying her face in his chest.

She pulled away, tears fluttering on her eyelashes. "I was so worried when the McCulloughs' got me from work, saying there had been a fight after the game..."

"It's fine, Mom." His voice sounded awfully tight.

His mother gave him a little shake, letting go. "It is fine, Matt. Bonnie's ok, the hospital is releasing her now. Mrs. Sulez has a turkey in at your house and the police are saying its only a few minutes now. Everyone wants to celebrate the holiday, honey."

"Bonnie's fine?" Elena queried, standing with a sway. Matt steadied her, relief filling him just as much as the ghost scents of roasting turkey. His mouth watered just thinking about it.

Matt's mom frowned, "Well, she's signing her release papers right now. She's refusing to stay overnight, though the doctor's think..."

"As long as she's fine, I don't care if I get arrested!" Elena declared.

Police approached, bordering on murphy's law. "Elena Gilbert?"

She straightened and Matt winced for her. "That's me. Where is my boyfriend Stefan Salvatore?"

The policeman ignored her question, "You're free to go. Though the Humane League is debating pressing charges." He paused, turning to Matt. "You too, Mr. Honeycutt."

Matt was too tired to even give a whoop of triumph, instead he began leading Elena out by the elbow, his mother on his other side. So what if Elena had approached the animal donation booth outside the game and used cats as projectiles against the wolves attacking? Nobody had gotten bit, which was the important thing. The policeman's voice stilled him, several stops away, "Mr. Honeycutt?"

He turned, stomach clenching. "Yes, sir?"

"Good game and a better fight." The officer paused, wiping at his brow. "This town needed someone to remind them of what Thanksgiving is for. Football, family and friends."

"Thanks." Matt replied, slightly bewildered as his stomach finally unclenched. His mom gave him a squeeze from one side, Elena the other. He turned away with a weary, "Happy Thanksgiving."

…...

When Matt finally was able to sink into the living room loveseat he was exhausted and at his very ends of patience. Bonnie was on the couch across from him, babbling at her father and Damon with words that only made half sense. "She ok?"

Mr. McCullough shot him a glance, "She won't stay in the hospital or let them really treat all the broken bones. Since she's over eighteen..." He sighed, letting it go. "The painkillers seem to be working at least."

Matt took a closer look: her eyes were glazed, one of her arms in a sling, the other in a cast, one foot propped up with another cast. It tore him up inside, but he had to ask, "How are the marks on her stomach?"

"Her stomach?" Mr. McCullough queried, looking around.

"It was just a bloody shirt." Damon said in a voice ringing with finality. Matt nodded with a feigned shrug for Bonnie's dad, so it had been vampire blood then. He knew Bonnie had been exchanging blood with Stefan in a weary anticipation, Damon forgone in all of their personal drama. She had been trying to put distance between them since he drank from her and Meredith's unfortunate stave incident.

"It shouldn't have happened." Matt said, making sure to meet Damon's eyes. He'd promised she would be fine this year.

"Maybe I shouldn't have saved you." Damon replied in the same darkly polite tone.

"It always happens." Bonnie mumbled to herself, brown eyes glancing up for the black ones, "Pets."

"Let's see what the news is saying." said, flipping on the tv in attempt to cut the tension in the room. "It'll pass the time before dinner quicker."

The tv came to life over any potential disagreements, the anchor looking too tan. "We have some breaking news! We have an exclusive video from today's mayhem at the Dalcrest – Williamstown game today. It will shock you and change your opinion of what happened today... After the break!"

Matt froze on the loveseat and one glance told him Damon's fingers were digging too tightly into Bonnie's shoulders, her horrified face lit by the flickering commercials. She clutched at her blanket, her worried words coming out in a swollen, choked, terror. "No...No. No."

Meredith and Elena drifted into the room silently, Bonnie's father glancing around the room, steel coming into his voice as Meredith sat and clutched one of Bonnie's clawed hands. "What am I about to see?"

"I..." Meredith began and faltered into silence, lack of surety overriding her natural confidence.

"I don't know." Matt got out, stomach clinching all over again. They couldn't have gotten videos of the fight, could they have? Was the supernatural world about to collide with a completely sane one?

"I see." Bonnie's father said quietly, before throwing out his voice to his wife. "Moira, you better come see this...and bring the whiskey." A glance at his stricken daughter, "Bonnie is going to need it."

There was scuffling, the sound of a migration out of the kitchen overshadowing the final notes of the tv jingle. The anchor reappeared, his plastic smile bright. "Before the break we mentioned a never before seen clip from today's mayhem. Could it explain why this student..." A picture flashed of Bonnie, her arms wrapped around Meredith and Elena, "...was taken by the Williamstown quarterback? Could it explain why wolves flooded their locker room? This was shot right before the student disappeared..."

Matt couldn't breath, couldn't even think over his heart's frantic hammering as the screen faded to black. The screen changed slowly, becoming a grainy cellphone video of himself, laughing and celebrating with teammates. He turned abruptly in the video, barely catching a joyous leaping Bonnie. Outside the tv his heart unclenched, no wolves. Inside the tv he was swinging her around, his face alight, unheard words passing between them. Then she pulled away, feet touching the ground for a second as she spoke before he lifted her again, pulling her into The Kiss. In real time the tv kiss went on long enough for him to start blushing furiously and Bonnie to start coughing, her face red as she struggled for breath. It kept going on, the moment in the living room shattered by the front door slamming, shaking the frame.

Bonnie tried to rise, frantically pushing her father's hands away, she was held back onto the couch by more than one set of hands. "Damon?" Her frantic voice rose in intensity even as she tried to pull her sling off, "Damon?"

Matt looked away, knowing the brown eyes were beseeching, were begging for someone who'd just fled. Something in him wrenched violently, even after a kiss like that Damon was still between them. Silence echoed and Matt glanced at Meredith, who gave the tiniest shake of her head, even as tiny tears were starting on the couch. He sighed, speaking over the anchor claiming he'd saved a Dalcrest Thanksgiving. This was about Bonnie and about making her holiday as good as it could be at this point, bitter as his words were they were equally determined. "I'll go."

Nobody argued and he left the house, letting the front door slam behind him as he faced the pacing vampire in the yard. His patience and energy were at their very end, a thread away from fully snapping. "What are you doing?"

Damon turned, black eyes alight with a thousand things Matt didn't care too understand. The only clear thing was the anger lashing against Matt, "How dare you kiss her like _that_?"

"You don't own her." It was a snap, the thread of Matt's patience fraying for the romantic drama, "You've never even asked her out, so don't act like you have any claim or I'll flay you." It changed into a fury, remembering wolves flying at him, Bonnie's screams in the distance. "You promised to protect her! How dare you?"

Damon ignored all of this, turning to face him, his whole body coiled like a cobra about to strike. Self hate, the brief flare of failure brightening the black. None of it was said about today, his words were a hiss, the words were a weak affirmation. "She loves me." A pause, "She's in love with me."

Matt's patience snapped completely, his own volatile emotions combining with his exhaustion to let loose a person he didn't even recognize. "Yeah. She does. So freaking what? All you've ever done is use it to hurt her, to throw it in her face while you do whatever you want."

"I don't need this." Damon turned away, taking a step to leave. As if he could, while tethered so tightly to the lives in the house. Stefan. Bonnie. Elena...

Matt took three steps into the yard, still riding high on bright, righteous anger. "No. You're not leaving. You're going to stop acting like a child and man the F up. You're going to go back into that house, smile at Bonnie and sit down for Thanksgiving dinner. I will not have you ruin the rest of her thanksgiving.." He tried to take a deep breath, but anger shook him instead. "You're going to be polite and eat turkey. And you're going to like it or fake it. Get drunk if you have to, but get your ass back in that house."

Damon's jaw dropped, his mouth working like a fish as those black eyes burned with anger. He had no response, the edges of his form literally trembling to keep shape. Matt turned and walked back towards the house, riding high on accomplishment. Nobody but Elena had ever spoken to Damon that way, had ever truly put him in his place. Matt certainly hadn't, Matt famously hadn't, he normally bit his tongue to even the biggest personal affronts, swallowed his pride for whatever the girls needed. Not today, today something fundamentally had changed within him: a warrior awakening.

He opened the door, finding Stefan's shocked face and Meredith's cool grey eyes and wry voice, "That was the worst pep talk I've ever seen."

He grimaced in acknowledgement, still unable to let go of the tight energy inside him. "Don't, Meredith...Or I'll have to give you a 'pep talk' of your own."

Her amused laugh was sharp as she linked her arm through his, leaving Stefan to deal with the fallout. "Let's get you some turkey, Mr. Thanksgiving."

…...

When he was finally at the table, cramped and overflowing with parents and guardians, Matt's mouth was watering. Grace was said by several people, Bonnie's drugged voice to his right demanding of the vampire to her right. "Damon...you have to cut my turkey since you don't eat it."

"Even I eat turkey on thanksgiving, redbird." Amused black eyes flicked to Matt's then away, his earlier anger lost in a self amusement so bizarre Matt didn't dare interfere again. Whether it was what Matt had said to him, Stefan had consoled him with or the bottle of vodka he'd chugged Matt didn't know.

"But...you...don't...eat..." Bonnie's slurred words were slow and careful, matching thoughts seriously delayed by pain and corresponding painkillers.

"Animal flesh, usually." Stefan finished for her, turning to Mrs. Sulez and Aunt Judith, "Damon tries to avoid poultry...he's not a fan of the taste."

Bonnie snickered next to him, opening her mouth to clarify and Matt pinched her thigh. If tonight out of all nights they had kept the secret from their families she wasn't about to throw it away. She glanced at him and he put on an innocent expression. "Do you want some gravy?"

"Is it blood gravy?" She asked eagerly. Several forks clattered onto the china, several shocked faces appearing around the table.

Meredith tried not to look at her parents, white under olive complexions, her laugh sounded tinny and fake. "You must be low on iron from the blood loss, Bonnie."

"I didn't lose it!" Bonnie protested, glazed eyes turning horrified. "They took it!" Silence reverberated around the room and Bonnie broke it, her giggle high. "He licked it up like a cub."

"Bonnie..." Several voices said: some horrified, some sympathetic, all worried. She tried to look at all of them, her eyes darting around the table until they went slack, staring cross-eyed into two different flames.

Matt shifted his hands, trying to cover both her plate and the back of the chair while avoiding long italian fingers doing the same. The voice that came from her was blank, "He dreams...and Bonnie screams."

"Who dreams?" Meredith's voice was soft, her eyes avoiding the blank ones in an attempt not to break the trance.

"Klaus." Matt breathed, stomach clenching into knots again, he was the only one who'd seen the bloody marks scratched into her.

"Locked away, he still calls to them with promises of glory and whispers of blood." The blank voice shook.

"What's going on?" Matt's mother asked, breaking the moment. Bonnie blinked, pitching forward and their hands tangled again, pushing at each other as she was caught on both wrists, dangling bangs dipping in gravy.

"_Scopa._For once will you just let me catch her?" Damon hissed at him over her head.

"Yeah, that's worked out real well so far." Matt hissed back, trying to pull her over.

"If you didn't interfere-" Damon started, pulling her back towards him.

"BOYS." The furious lilt was loud enough to stop them both in their tracks, glancing across the table at Bonnie's father. His mustache trembled with anger. "Stop it. Both of you."

Matt let go of her, only to find Damon had done the same thing, her face smashing directly into her food. They both yanked her back up again, hands tangling and when Matt looked back at Bonnie's father his eyes were shut, mustache trembling even harder. They opened, "Somebody get the mashed potatoes off of my daughter's cheek."

Matt obliged and let Damon take her from the table without a fight. He didn't want to see what happened when Mr. McCullough's mustache vibrated. He didn't have Bonnie at the moment, but at least he had his turkey.


	4. Matt vs Turkey

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving for US readers! Last installment! I got a PM asking why I do Bonnie, Matt and Damon and thought it was an interesting question and figured I'd post it here at the end of the story in case anyone is curious.

A/N: P.S. There will be a second Dalcrest Winter Wonderland.

Senior Year: Matt vs. Turkey

Matt woke abruptly to the sound of furious screams, he sat up sleepily as the screamer took to the stairs. He was still rubbing his eyes when Bonnie landed on top of him, "Somebody stole our turkey!"

"I heard." He said with a yawn, almost casually. He was not fully awake by any means.

She shook him, "Somebody stole our turkey! Do you understand what that means?! Thanksgiving without turkey..."

"Bonnie I just put it on the front porch to brine." He saw her face and it hit like a sucker punch, "Oh god. What are we going to feed the wolves?"

She paled, her nails digging into his shoulders. "The treaty..."

Once they had known why the wolves kept attacking it had seemed like a good idea to talk to them. Nobody, not even werewolves, liked being controlled without their knowledge, especially not by an Old One trapped in another dimension. Meredith and Alaric had done most of the leg work, most of the negotiating. In an act of good faith they were hosting a few of the wolves with no family, Damon's doing, for thanksgiving dinner. Matt peeled her off, holding her at arms' length. "I'll get another turkey."

"Nobody is open." Bonnie protested by climbing obediently off of him, a slight blush covering her cheeks as she looked down at him. To cover it she turned to the amused person in the doorway, "Damon, get me a turkey!"

"Where would I find a turkey, redbird? As you said...all of the stores are closed." His voice was amused, lounging against the doorframe.

"Has that ever stopped you?" Matt asked, groping for the shirt he'd thrown under the bed last night.

One black eyebrow quirked up in acknowledgement. Bonnie was making shooing motions at him, "Go! I don't care if you steal it, just get one!"

"Or?" Damon still hadn't straightened.

Bonnie stopped, taking a moment to think hard about this. She never once glanced at Matt and he felt like wallpaper in his own room, watching a movie. He was a nothing in this romance before him, relegated to the dusty past. All his own damn fault. Bonnie spoke, her voice triumphant. "Or...I'll make you celebrate every Thanksgiving until the end of time."

Matt found a clean pair of shorts, feeling curiously empty. He'd buried whatever feelings he had about losing Bonnie's mortality a few months ago. He didn't like it, he never reveled in it usually, but today it seemed easier to accept. He loved her, he always would and it would hurt like a bitch for awhile yet, until she went into the special place in his heart next to Elena. He needed to learn to fall in love and not fall so hard it took years to heal.

Damon was talking, finally leaning off the doorframe with a self satisfied smile, eternally amused. "I already got another turkey. On the counter, Mutt."

Matt managed a genuine, but sleepy, "Thanks, man."

He stumbled towards the shower intent on washing away Thanksgiving pasts. This year it would be different, he knew it in his bones.

…...

"DAMON!" Matt bellowed, sometime later, as he stared at the turkey in front of him, the turkey staring back at him. This was no store-bought turkey; this was a wild turkey complete with a face and feathers.

Damon appeared, Bonnie giggling erratically against his side. "What is that?"

Damon spoke over Bonnie, "A turkey."

"A real turkey." Bonnie giggled into Damon's chest, on one hand fascinated the other horrified.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Matt found himself bellowing, furious and confused.

"Pluck its feathers!" Bonnie replied, surging forward only to find herself caught in vampire arms.

Matt ignored them and began the long, tortuous struggle of butchering the turkey. The first terrible step getting rid of the feathers. A regular turkey was intimidating enough, but this raw, wild thing was almost too much. He ignored his horror and trepidation, digging in with minor help from youtube to figure out how to do that. This was, after all, their only chance with the wolves.

He glanced up sometime later at a giggle, finding Bonnie right next to him, peering intently at the half plucked turkey. "Are we going to get a pillow?"

Matt frowned ignoring the fact feathers were stuck in his hair, "When are you going to start the sides?"

Bonnie only giggled harder, collapsing into vampire arms again. "Damon already made the eggnog."

"Bonnie...are you drunk?" Matt asked her slowly, glancing at the clock, it wasn't even noon yet.

She looked around too, as if the answer was somewhere in the room. She craned her head back, looking up at Damon. "Am I drunk?"

"As a skunk." He replied, turning his attention back to Matt. "She had two cups off the egg nog. I'll try and sober her up before dinner."

Matt turned back to his turkey, heart sinking. How was he supposed to do a whole thanksgiving dinner by himself? This just wasn't fair. They were leaving the kitchen, "C'mon little bird, let's get you in a bath."

"Bird bath." Bonnie happily sing songed, stopping abruptly, her face puckering with worry. "I don't want to be stolen from my bath like the turkey was."

Black laughter floated back to Matt and he sighed again, hitting Elena's speed dial with his elbow. She answered and all Matt could hear was the hissing and screaming of an angry cat and a "oh shit."

He hung up, hitting Meredith's speed dial, wincing for Elena and whoever the cat had been thrown at.

…...

It was over an hour later when Bonnie reappeared in the kitchen, showered and slightly more sober. She calmly took the bowl of stuffing and wooden spoon away from him. "Sorry about that...the werewolves still make me nervous."

"It's ok, just slow it down, please." He asked, going back to check the oven temperature. He felt slightly awkward around her now, it was as if they'd just swept everything between them under the rug. He'd only moved back in last week, and nobody talked about what had happened, though the rug was bulging in plain sight. "Where's Damon?"

"He went for a quick hunt." She sounded a little nervous about it, as if she didn't like him being gone.

"Hey, he'll be back quick. Don't worry, Bonnie." Matt had reached out to pat her shoulder, but stopped his hand just hanging there. He pulled it back as she turned around, putting her bowl back on the counter.

She looked at him for a long moment, brown eyes full of trepidation. "Matt, there's something I need to tell you about Damon and I..."

"Don't." It came out more forceful than he intended it, he tried to soften his stance a bit. "Look, it's none of my business what the two of you are doing."

She pressed on anyway, "But Matt a few days ago things changed and -"

"-You guys started sleeping together, I know. Like I said, it's none of my business. Just spare me the details, please." He took a deep breath, pushing away the glance he'd gotten of her room covered in white flowers. Now that Damon had decided to actually woo her, it was a show worth watching.

"That's not it, Matt. I-" His phone rang and he grabbed it, effectively ending the awkward conversation. "Hey Meredith, how is California?"

"Happy Thanksgiving." Meredith's cool voice came down the line, "It's good, I'm glad we're getting to see Christian before he deploys. How is dinner coming? Bonnie nervous?"

"It's coming, sort of. Yeah, she's a bit out of sorts. Here you talk to her while I put the turkey in." He handed Bonnie the phone and turned back to his work. Once he got this turkey in he was definitely trying the eggnog. He was going to need it if he was going to make it through today.

…...

Three cups of eggnog and two beers later he was finally at the table with his turkey sitting on his plate. It wasn't beautiful plump and browned, but it was turkey and he had made it. The four werewolves were being nice enough, if a bit nervous. Damon was helping the whole party a long with lots of alcohol and his most charming manners. Bonnie was between them, tiny trembles still going through her at their nearness.

Marla, one of the wolves, was really trying. "We're sad that Meredith and Alaric couldn't make it today. Where is Elena? I was looking forward to seeing how she did on our journalism test."

"Alaric should be here for pie. Elena's younger sister is in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, so she and Stefan went to New York to watch her." Matt answered, taking a sip of his beer. "Bonnie's parents are visiting one of her sisters who just moved out of state. You would have liked Mr. McCullough, Marla."

"And your family?" Rico asked, surly and bitter, Damon had killed his brother quite viciously. He was the stereotypical werewolf, a loner and not very bright.

"My mom is working today so she can come up for the game this weekend. She always seems to get holiday shifts." He shrugged, his mom always took the holiday shifts so everyone else could be with their families.

Rico turned to Bonnie, "Do you eat, little girl? Or just push food around your plate."

"I eat." She said, her first words to him all night, then she reached for the gravy boat. Rico was reaching for the same thing, his hand touching hers and Bonnie flinched away, pressing back into her seat.

There was a beat of strained silence, several people starting to bristle. It was Damon who swallowed his own tension, "She's still a bit nervous, understandably."

Marla made the next effort, her voice soft and soothing as if Bonnie was a wild colt. "Bonnie, that is a beautiful ring. I'd love to know where you got it."

"Ooh, I didn't see it." The other female wolf commented, prompting Bonnie to hold her hand out, displaying the small ring sitting on her left ring finger.

Bonnie's voice was still a bit shaky, "It was a gift."

These words had Matt's stomach dropping, tuning abruptly back into the conversation. He looked at the ring, a wreath of fiery tiny opals. Marla was still admiring it, "That's an eternity band, right?"

Matt froze and time seemed to slow down, he wanted to turn and look at Bonnie but he couldn't seem to. It seemed like forever before her light voice answered, "Yes it is."

He swallowed over the sound of his heart being completely smashed, stabbed and set on fire all at once. He had to get out of here. He pushed back from the table, scraping his chair, his words sounding thick and wooden. "Excuse me."

Damon had finally figured out how to ruin his Thanksgiving, how to ruin his life.

…...

Matt's footsteps crunched in the snow, back and forth, back and forth across the front lawn. He didn't notice the icy cold, his insides too flustered to register even the little pieces of hail striking his bare skin. The thoughts swirled in his head, around and around in some sort of whirling 20s dance. Damon and Bonnie forever, Stefan and Elena forever. Damon and Bonnie...Stefan and Elena...Damon and...

The door swung open hesitantly, light footsteps coming onto the porch. Matt's back tensed, but he didn't turn around, he could picture her clearly enough. She would be wringing her hands, holding them close to her chest while she delicately bit her lip in nervousness. Her voice was even more hesitant, "Matt...?"

He didn't say anything, didn't even turn to look at her, afraid if he did the torrent inside him would come pouring out, terrified that the small dam keeping it all inside would break. She sighed and Matt could imagine the small puff of air it would cause in the cold, then her footsteps moved off the porch. Her voice had tears fluttering at the edge of it, "I tried to tell you earlier...in the kitchen."

He squeezed his eyes shut, he hadn't wanted to listen, had he? She went on, her voice moving closer with the small crunches of her feet in the snow. "Matt, I-"

"Don't." He cut her off, the gruffness of his voice surprising even him. He hadn't intended to say anything, but he couldn't take the thought of listening to her talk about her feelings for Damon. "Just...go back inside, Bonnie."

He heard her sharp inhale, but this was as close as he wanted to come to talking about everything, to acknowledging how bitterly their triangle had ended for him. She tried once more, the bells in her voice pleading, "Matt..."

"Go, Bonnie." He ground it out, ignoring the tight feeling all over his face, in his shoulders, clenching his jaw and a sharpness at the edge of his eyes. "Please."

She left and he began pacing again, working to forcibly un-tense one muscle after another. It kept him from darker thoughts, from wondering what would happen if he really tried to fight Damon, from imagining how upset his mother would be to find out he'd gotten himself killed on Thanksgiving. The door opened again and he sighed in aggravation, still not turning around. "What now?"

"You usually are the only person who can make her smile on Thanksgiving, Mutt, not the one to make her cry." Damon's smooth voice carried across the yard, heard easily over the increasing hail.

Matt spun around, facing the porch finally, to find Damon leaning against one of the columns. He thought about telling Damon he didn't care, but decided silence would be his best chance against the raging emotions in him. So Matt simply glared at Damon.

One black eyebrow raised in question, but Damon didn't move from his casual position. "I could threaten you to 'get back in the house' as you did me, once."

"It wouldn't have any effect." Matt muttered, remembering his fiery anger and the following high from the year before. The year where everything had been different. "Just leave me alone."

"Now, I wouldn't be a good friend if I did that." Damon admonished, dark amusement lurking in his words even now.

Matt turned away from him and began pacing again, it still felt like his heart was going to claw itself out of his chest, but there was the familiar annoyance of Damon. Oddly, the words, the antagonistic feelings helped settle some of the grief in him. This was the reality now and he had to begin accepting it sooner rather than later.

Damon went on, stoking Matt's anger. "I'd thought leaving you with a real turkey would be enough to ruin your Thanksgiving, but you rose to that challenge. It never occurred to me to use Bonnie against you, if it had, well..."

"Stop it." Matt snapped, hands clenching into fists. This was too much. Too much. If only Damon could figure out a way to throw in Elena and Matt's mom he'd have a hat trick of agony.

Damon straightened off the column, looking thoughtful. "Why? You never thought of my reactions when you were dallying with her."

This was completely valid, though it had been much more than a dalliance, but it didn't matter to Matt. Damon was still speaking though, that same thinking look in his eyes, almost sad. "Thanksgiving will always be yours with her, you know."

"Like hell it is." Matt muttered bitterly, the words tasting as sour as an unripe persimmon in his mouth.

"The infernal court." Damon corrected absently, taking his words to mean Matt's time spent with Bonnie in "hell", not simply as a curse.

The silence drug out and Matt shuffled his feet, feeling the last beer hit him, still bitter he asked. "Why is Thanksgiving mine?"

No humor or rancor lurked in Damon's dark gaze, just a haunting. "You always come through for her, a hero perhaps, while I..."

Damon trailed off, his jaw tightening as he looked away and tried to swallow the thought. Before he had time to finish it a scream ripped through the air, panicked and unrelenting.

…...

Matt slammed into Damon's back as Damon came to an abrupt stop in the hallway leading into the dining room. Damon hissed at the sight before him and Matt felt himself tense, muscles coiling. Rico was holding Bonnie, the carving knife pressed to her throat as tears streamed down her face. She was trembling in his grip, weakly struggling, looking lost and overwhelmed at a fate too often repeated over the past few years.

"Let her go." Damon snarled, moving into the room in an almost feline crouch.

Rico bristled and Matt could almost see the fur on him standing up. "Why should I? You killed my brother!"

"This is supposed to be a treaty." Matt argued desperately, moving from behind Damon to the side. Bonnie's eyes caught his and held, anguished brown to panicky cornflower blue. She was begging him, even as Rico juggled the knife and a tiny red droplet appeared on her neck. Her eyes never once flicked to the furious black watching the wolf.

Rico spun towards him, pulling Bonnie, the whites of his eyes showing. "A treaty?! With that monster? I didn't realize she was his _woman _or I would have never come."

A low growl came from Damon's throat as he moved closer to Rico, all of the suaveness stripped away to reveal the hunter underneath. Matt could easily see how Damon had eradicated most of the wolves in Virginia with that face.

Marla looked back and forth between the two groups and raised her hands in a surrender motion, "Bonnie got an odd look in her eyes and started to say...well..some odd things. Rico was upset by them."

Matt felt his shoulders relax a tiny amount, but never took his eyes from Bonnie. "A channeling," he tried to explain, bumbling over the words. "Bonnie's psychic, I'm sure Alaric or Meredith mentioned this. She gets a vision every Thanksgiving...it's been happening for the past few years."

Damon straightened slightly, losing the animal side but not the threatening persona. "Since she was in high school." Rico made no move to calm down and Damon's voice was a command, "Let her go."

Rico grabbed her closer, another few drops of ruby spilling out. Matt finally broke his gaze with Bonnie, conceding that he did care, damning himself as he did, turning to the werewolf. "Rico, I know you're upset by whatever Bonnie said, but she doesn't remember any of it. And I know you're still grieving for your brother, but this isn't the way to get back at Damon. If you want to hurt him, hurt him, don't hurt Bonnie, because well, that hurts me too. And it hurts Alaric and Meredith, even Stefan who got you out of that scrape with the sheriff, and all of us are your friends or want to be anyway. Just...don't drag Bonnie into your beef with Damon."

Rico's grip on Bonnie loosened slightly and the front door slammed open, Alaric's cheery voice calling out. "I brought pecan pie!"

The hand holding the knife to Bonnie's neck dropped to her side as Alaric rounded the corner, his tan face crinkled into a smile that fell when he caught sight of the tense seen. "What happened?" He spun towards Damon, "What did you do?"

"Nothing happened." Bonnie muttered, stumbling the few steps from Rico into Matt's chest, where hot tears soaked his shirt and tiny trembles shook her. He wrapped his arms around her, looking helplessly from Alaric to Damon, the latter of which gave him a nod of acceptance and turned away to the bar.

Damon's forcibly cheerful voice echoed across the room, as Matt pulled Bonnie out of it. "I think its time to open the champagne, don't you, Rico?"

Her legs weren't working properly and he scooped her up, carrying her up the stairs into his room. She sobbed against him and he couldn't tell what her words were about. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Shhhh, there there." He tried to soothe, though his insides were churning again. This was Damon's job now, he didn't want any part of this anymore.

Eventually she calmed somewhat, her tearstained face popping off his chest to pear earnestly up at him. She untangled herself from his limbs, not climbing completely off, but hovering in a familiar way. "I'm so thankful for you, Matt."

Before he could manage something nice to say, because while he was happy she was alive he was not thankful for any of this. He wanted out of this situation, he wanted to be as far away as as he could, salving his shattered Thanksgiving. The door opened, not to reveal Damon, but Bonnie's bear like father, the formidable . "Little one?"

She was off the bed and in her daddy's arms in an instant, tears starting all over again, even more distressed than before. "There, there, little one."

Matt rose and smiled at , whose words were brief

before making an apologetic face and slipping out of his room and shutting the door. He leaned against it for a moment, before slipping down the stairs. He had to get out of here, had to get away from this awful, unending day before the next catastrophe struck. He could see 's bright red hair in the dining room, hear her tinkling laugh and could only hope he could slip out of the house unnoticed. She was looking at something Damon was showing her, giggling almost like a schoolgirl. Matt had to get out of this house, away from Bonnie, away from the wolves, away from his shattered self.

He made it through the hallway, the front hall and almost out of the door before a cool voice stopped him, the unfamiliar term catching him off guard. "Matt?"

He turned, unused to Damon's voice lacking any rancor, hostility or at the very least boredom. Matt met night dark eyes in understanding, keys flying from Damon's hand into Matt's automatically upheld to catch them. Damon in that moment knew what Matt needed, had done in countless times before: one set of keys represented Damon's respect, his understanding and maybe even his friendship someday. Matt had to flee. "The ferrari is faster."

Matt caught them, startled but not unwilling, and for the first time his thanks were completely genuine. "Thanks, man."

Damon nodded and Matt changed his course from his old clunker of a vehicle to Damon's shiny Italian car. This would be the fastest escape route, a car worth respect, one where driving it would be enough of a challenge to distract Matt from his shattering insides. He climbed in and without a glance back lost himself to the road.

…...

Something light caught in his headlights and his heart clenched, the blonde was Elena's shade. Would she torment him today too? Still he slowed, rolling down the window of the car as he pulled off the road next to the Old Wood. "Elena?"

The girl turned, but it wasn't Elena, it was Sue Carson's cheery face taut with worry. "Matt?! Whose car is that?"

"A friend's." He answered, glancing at her smoking car and the closeness of the Old Wood. "Need a ride?"

She nodded and gratefully climbed in the car. Matt found himself glancing at her often, noticing how different from both Bonnie and Elena she was.

…...

Bonnie waved goodbye to her parents as the pulled away, back on the road to see Mary, a surprise road trip to see all of their children. An arm wrapped around her waist, a head resting on her chin, "You alright, redbird?"

She didn't answer, picking at the lint on her sweater, she was exhausted after today. "Matt just picked up Sue."

Smooth fingers tilted her head up, not flinching at the conflicting emotions in them. There was no sheen of tears left, she'd cried herself out over it earlier in her father's arms. "Is that why your father came?"

She looked away, turning her chin from his hand, "Even skips get a glance on occasion."

"Sue is the one you see him marrying, yes?" She nodded, still not looking at Damon. He was quiet a long moment, "How does that make you feel?"

She was quiet too, thinking and Damon knew it was about Matt, her and Damon about the triangle Elena had drug everyone through for years. How she herself had handled being in the middle with an abundance of caution, yet still hurt the three of them. "Confused, hurt, but...but mostly thankful that it's over."

_Fin._

I'm not a triangle person by nature, the S/E/D is one of my least favorite parts of VD (rare, I know) for a lot of different reasons. I like writing about these three because I've always felt there was so much potential there for both relationships if everyone had some time to grow up. We see hints of B/M in DR, of Matt slowly but surely getting over Elena. I adore Matt, but I don't think he's learned his lesson in love yet. He falls and he stays stuck there a really long time, but I do see him being hesitant to actually make a move in case it doesn't work out. I clearly also adore the idea of Bamon, of a slow and growing affection that gets hindered by all of their pasts. Bonnie has to be given a chance to grow up some and Damon too, he's been the same person for 500 years and change isn't exactly coming easily to him. I guess I get stuck on these three because there has to be growth, has to time, it's not the instant soul shaking love of Stefan and Elena. It's real and it's messy and Bonnie has seen how Elena handled S/D, she won't make the same mistakes. She's too flighty to commit until to a relationship she really, truly knows.


End file.
